The Perfect Bite

What is The Perfect Bite?

Have you ever taken that one perfect bite that makes the world stand still, awakens all your senses and makes you involuntarily say “mmmmmm!” ?

The perfect bite is like a great song. It takes you back to that moment so ingrained in your memory you’ll never forget it. You remember everything about that moment: the environment & ambience, the smile on your dining partner’s face, every detail of the conversation, the feel of the fork perched against your fingers, the aroma, and oh…exactly what your tastebuds experienced!

We first experienced the foodie world on our honeymoon 21 years ago. We spent 2 weeks in Italy and ate our way through all the new flavors that were available to us: arugula salad, fresh buffalo mozzarella, parmigiano reggiano, pecorino romano, truffle oil…the list goes on. 21 years ago, those foods were not available in the US except in only the finest and most expensive Italian restaurants. How the food world has changed!

Our perfect bites have evolved through the years and now include:

The edamame dumplings at Buddakan - New York City

The heirloom tomato salad at Tra Vigne - Napa Valley

The BBQ duck & seared foie gras slider at Iron Bridge Wine Company - Columbia, MD

The tuna carpaccio at West End Bistro - Washington, DC

The BBQ Moroccan riblettes at The Dilido Beach Club - South Beach

The pan roasted salmon at Caliterra Bar & Grille - Chicago

The artisan bread with creamy butter and Hawaiian red sea salt at Farallon - San Francisco

The Brazilian pacu fish ribs at Truluck's - Naples, FL

　

We are always on a quest for the next perfect bite!

We’d like to know: what is your perfect bite?

December’s 1st Snow

In big broadcast markets like Baltimore and Washington, DC the TV weather personalities typically make 6 figures.  Who wouldn’t love that job!  When it comes to forecasting bad weather they are wrong somewhere between 50-65% of the time yet still make that money. 

 

The reason we are even discussing this is because yesterday’s forecast in the Baltimore-DC area initially called for light snow showers late in the day and during the evening with no accumulation.  Instead, the snow began around 9:30 am and didn’t end for most of the day – a veritable winter wonderland with a 3-4 inch accumulation.

 
Our deck railing last night

 

Our favorite thing to do during a snowstorm is hunker down at home with the fireplace roaring and a gorgeous smelling dinner permeating the house.  Yesterday’s choice:  3-bean chili and mâche salad with a creamy red wine vinaigrette and 2007 Altovinum Evodia Garnacha from Calatayud,Spain – just the way we like it…berries and spice and very little tannin and at a very inexpensive price.  We recommend you check it out.

Our 3-bean chili

 

Mâche salad with cucumber, tomato & feta cheese with our Creamy Red Wine Vinaigrette

We love to vary our chili – sometimes we use 6 beans, sometimes we use turkey, or pork, or even the famous meatloaf combo (1/3 beef, 1/3 veal, 1/3 pork).  Sometimes we top it with sour cream, sometimes grated cheddar.  It all depends on our mood.  Eric and the kids are experts at cooking chili in a big cast iron dutch oven in the fire while camping.  It’s a cold weather fave in our house.

Sunday’s choice:  Cornish hens with gluten free cornbread stuffing, Becky's potatoes au gratin (recipe from our friend) and garlicky green beans & tomatoes accompanied by 2007 Villa Sparina Gavi from Piedmonte, Italy (we were in the mood for white).  It’s a fruit forward crisp, clean wine with a hint of honey.  Another affordable wine you should check out.

 

Cornish hen with cornbread stuffing on a bed of onions

 

 

Becky’s Potatoes Au Gratin are scrumptiously cheesy

 

Dinner’s eaten, kitchen’s cleaned up, time for that 2^nd glass of wine while we sit in front of the fire and plan out our upcoming week.  Cheers!

 
 
  

Viva La Señora

  

We entered Miami’s trendy Design District with oohs and aahs, glimpsing the high-end stores and high design window fronts.  We pulled up to a small building with umbrella-covered tables out front.  As we exited the car the aroma hit us full in the nose!  It was an aroma filled with promise that made us salivate.

 

Welcome to Sra. Martinez, the tapas restaurant owned by Chef Michelle Bernstein and her husband David Martinez.  Walking inside the 1920’s building (it was originally a post office) we felt like we had left Miami and had entered a small neighborhood restaurant in Spain.   Original wood floors, gigantic black plantation shutters, funky tile walls, marble bartops, cozy booths – all designed by Michelle’s sister.

We were seated at the charcuterie bar where Michelle was busily doing her thing.  As we sat down she hit us with a smile that lit up the entire room.  Let us just say that in person Michelle Bernstein is a stunningly gorgeous woman – TV and photos don’t do her true justice.

 

Okay…onto the food.  Like the ambiance, the food is hip and unpretentious.  Spanish wines comprise 95% of the wine list so we enlisted the Sommelier to help us choose.  She recommended Luna Beberide 2007 Finca La Cuestra (ruby red color, spice & tons of fruit) and we weren’t disappointed.  It was a great recommendation for the dishes we would try.

 

Quesos, Embutidos y Bocas (clockwise from top left) Cana de Cabre – semi-soft goat cheese; Valdeon Blue – combo cow, sheep & goat; Chorizo Cantimpalo; Marcona Almonds; Manchego – Spain’s version of Reggiano Parmigiano.

Of course we had to begin with a charcuterie and cheese platter.  We moved on to mussels and seared scallops.  As our culinary student daughter was eating the scallops she said, “I like how my knife just glides through the scallops.  It makes me so happy.”  From there we moved on to Korean-style short ribs and Butifarra – gigante white beans with foie gras duck sausage.  Darlene said, “I could eat Michelle’s version of franks and beans everyday.”  Dessert was a plate of homemade churros with chocolate sauce.  What’s not to like?

 
Mussels Al Ajillo  

Seared Scallops

Galbi Pinchos (Korean-style short ribs)

Butifarra (gigante beans with foie gras duck sausage)

 
Churros 

  

We cannot begin to tell you have much we enjoyed our meal.  We recommend you put Sra. Martinez on your foodie dance card.  We’ll be back!

 

Le Beaujolais Nouveau Est Arrivé

 

This is the phrase universally plastered on every wine store this week.  It means The New Beaujolais Has Arrived.  We first noticed Beaujolais Nouveau in the 80’s when Georges Deboeuf was the winner of the race to be the first producer to get his bottles on US shelves every year.  This year, America has imported about 147,000 cases of Deboeuf.

 
 

Basically, Beaujolais Nouveau represents a time to celebrate the harvest.  Some of these gamay grapes (about 1/3 of the harvest) are bottled within 6 weeks; the rest is aged in barrels to become more complex wines.

 
 

Fun Facts about Beaujolais Nouveau:

It doesn’t break the bank – you most likely have the cash in your wallet right now as the going price is under $20.

It’s very easy on the palate – light, fruity (think berries), but not sweet.

It’s a great introductory wine for your friends who are staunch white wine drinkers.

 

It’s meant to be consumed right away – within 6 months at most (in most cases).

There are many different producers so we recommend trying a few – at these prices you can certainly afford it.

This wine doesn’t take itself too seriously and the fun, colorful labels reflect that.

Serve lightly chilled – about 55-60 degrees (about ½ hour in your fridge).

Pairs with lots of different foods – gamay grape goes great with charcuterie, pâté, ham, chicken, cheese and, of course, turkey.

 
 

We raise our glasses to toast this year’s harvest.  Cheers!

Turkey Libations

Everything’s set…you’re ready for the big day.  Turkey, cranberry sauce, sides and even dessert is all planned out.  Now…what will everyone be drinking with your scrumptious feast?

 

Many people find themselves at a loss when it comes to pairing wine with food.  We have always thought that wine is a personal choice and we eschew all those fancy rules.  But you’ll be so happy to know that since the traditional Thanksgiving dinner encompasses a wide range of flavors – savory, sweet, tart, acidic, even umami – many wine varietals will pair nicely (thus making the guest wine snob and flighty Auntie Tilly equally happy).

 

Like an octopus we put our feelers out in the wine world to help give you a great selection of picks.  Here’s the advice we got:

 

Gewürztraminer is a common recommendation.  Neil Dundee, sommelier at Volt (Top Cheftestant Bryan Voltaggio’s restaurant), says Gewürztraminer is a great choice for people who aren’t consistent wine drinkers because it’s got a hint of sweetness.  His aunts always enjoy it so he always makes sure he has some on hand. 

 

Another very common recommendation is Pinot Noir.  Julie Dalton, sommelier at Ranazul in Fulton, MD, recommends New World Pinots like those from Willamette Valley Oregon or California’s Central Coast.  “This is a lighter bodied style of red wine with enough structure to stand up to but not overpower the delicate meat of the turkey,” says Julie.  “It also will go nicely with the dark meat of the bird.” 

 

When in doubt, add some sparkle to the meal with champagne.  We usually begin the meal with champagne, then move on to a red wine.  And we find that champagne pairs well with almost anything.

 

Here are some detailed recommendations from the experts:

 

Nate Beachler – General Manager The Oceanaire Seafood Room

Recommends: Navarro Gewürztraminer and Panther Creek Pinot Noir

What he’s drinking: Pride Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon

 

Vince Culotta – Manager Iron Bridge Wine Company, Columbia, MD

Recommends: Ecard Savigny-les-beaune 1r Cru and Joseph Swan Saralee’s Vineyard Pinot Noir

What he’s drinking: Domaine Weinbach Pinot Gris and Littorai Cerise Pinot Noir

 

Julie Dalton – Sommelier Ranazul, Fulton, MD

Recommends:  Chardonnay – either Karia from Stag’s Leap or Mount Eden’s Wolff Vineyard and Pinot Noir from either Arcadian, Cinnabar or Ambullneo “Bulldog”

What she’s drinking: She’ll be in Alsace, France having dinner at l’Auberge de I’ll drinking some exquisite Alsatian Gewürztraminers

 

Neil Dundee – Sommelier Volt, Frederick, MD

Recommends:  Gewürztraminer

What he’s drinking: 2 Gewürztraminers (1 sweet & 1 dry), a Valpolicella and a Chianti

 

Rick Harris – Manager i.m. Wine, Fulton, MD

Recommends: Tablas Creek Cote de Tablas from Paso Robles, California or Mas Carlot “Les Enfants Terribles” from the Rhone region of France

What he’s drinking: Bollinger’s Special Cuvée Champagne because “champagne piques my appetite.”

 

Jerry Pellegrino – Chef/Owner Corks, Baltimore

Recommends: He likes using the flavors of the Chesapeake Bay region so he naturally thinks of local wine.  He says, “Elk Run’s Gewürztraminer is the perfect turkey wine and the latest vintage is from estate grown fruit from a great year.”  His local red wine of choice is Basignani's Lorenzino Reserve.

 

Aleksander Stepanovich – Sommelier Sea Salt, Naples, FL

What he’s drinking: “In my case I will keep with the traditional Thanksgiving dinner recipe that I have inherited from a very good friend of mine, Ricardo Milone.  Turkey stuffed with Yukon potato, fresh porcini mushrooms and Black truffles and a Nebbiolo – Barbera blend, Monferrato Rosso Pin, La Spinetta, Piedmont Italy 2006

 

Yours truly will begin the day with étoile Rosé sparkling wine then continuing with Pinot Meunier both from Domaine Chandon.  Cheers!

Rock Star-Worthy Thanksgiving Sides

We’re continuing to try to get you to think outside the box and switch up some of your traditional Thanksgiving recipes.  Today, we’re focusing on side dishes. 

 

Typical sides include potatoes (white and sweet), a vegetable or two, and the quintessential cranberry sauce (Oceanspray makes it great…why mess with perfection?). 

 

We’ve compiled a few ideas for you to try.  If you’re a guest for Thanksgiving dinner this year choosing one of these recipes to bring will make you a rock star.

 

Our first recommendation is a must.  We had this at Farallon in San Francisco and have been serving it ever since.  Get frozen rolls unbaked.  Following the instructions, bake the rolls Thanksgiving morning so they are fresh.  Get several ramekin dishes and fill with softened butter.  Top the butter with Hawaiian Red Sea Salt.  Every time we serve this our friends go nuts…it’s addictive!  (You can find this Hawaiian Red Sea Salt at many places, but our favorite is from Napastyle.)

 

 

If you’re looking for a different potato idea we love, love, LOVE roasted red skin potatoes.

 

Garlic Roasted Potatoes

 

3 lbs. red skin potatoes, cut into quarters or halves depending on size

½ lb. bacon or pancetta (this is a special time to splurge on Nueske’s thick cut bacon)

2 lg. onions, cut into eighths (or use baby onions)

2 bulbs of garlic, separated into individual cloves (removing the skin is optional)

2 tbl evoo

salt & pepper to taste

another spice that complements your turkey’s flavor profile is optional

 

Combine all the ingredients together on a large baking sheet and toss well to make sure the potatoes and onions are coated by the oil.

 

Roast at 400º for 1 hour.

 

Roasted fingerling potatoes ready for the oven

 

 

 

Here’s a twist:

In the recipe above you could also substitute the red potatoes with fingerling potatoes or a mixture of diced Yukon gold and sweet potatoes. 

 

 

If you’re making mashed potatoes try kicking it up a notch by adding additional flavors:

 

Roasted mashed garlic

Buttermilk & chive

Roasted mashed turnips

Roasted mashed butternut squash

Roasted mashed celeriac (celery root)

Roasted mashed fennel

Caramelized shallots

Truffle oil

 

Here’s a great mashed potato tip:

According to Executive Chef Robert Carney of the Grosse Pointe Yacht Club in Michigan, you can cook and mash the potatoes ahead of time and keep them in perfect condition on the low setting of your crockpot for 3-4 hours.  But there’s a catch…the chef says “mashed red skin potatoes will not hold, use Idaho russets.”

 

 

For a truly southern twist try Grandma Duffy’s recipe below.

 

Grandma Duffy’s Famous Southern Sweet Potato Balls

 

3 cups cooked yams or sweet potatoes

¼ cup butter, softened

¾ cups light brown sugar

2 tbl milk

¼ tsp salt

1/2 tsp cinnamon

8 regular size marshmallows

2 cups cornflakes, crushed

 

Mash the yams or sweet potatoes.  Add the butter, sugar, salt & cinnamon. 

 

Scoop up ¼ cup of the potato mixture and wrap around a marshmallow (use more if needed to cover). 

 

Roll each ball in the crushed cornflakes. 

 

Put in a buttered baking dish and bake at 350º for 20 minutes until golden and crunchy.

 

 

We just love roasted veggies.  So when it comes to a big meal like this, we try to choose a tasty, simple veggie dish.

 

 

Roasted Veggies

It’s very simple.  Just take your veggie(s) of choice and toss with evoo & salt and pepper to taste.  You can always include an additional herb or spice to complement your turkey flavor profile.  Roast on 400º until the particular veggie reaches your preferred texture…anywhere from 10 – 30 minutes.

 

Asparagus

Brussels sprouts (this dish can make a Brussels sprouts hater into a convert!)

Butternut squash

Eggplant

Green beans

Bell peppers

Cherry tomatoes

Succotash – corn, green & red peppers & lima beans (frankly, even if you buy them frozen, roasting them gives the dish a whole new life.)

Zucchini

 

Some great tips:

The Garlic Roasted Potato recipe above will also work for many of the aforementioned veggies.

 

Drizzle a little 25-year aged balsamic vinegar over the roasted veggies.

 

Shave Reggiano-Parmigiano over the top of the cooked veggies.

 

Drizzle a little truffle oil over the roasted veggies.

 

 

As you can see the possibilities are endless.  Try something new this year and elevate your status to Foodie Rock Star.

 

 

Which came first – the Stuffing or the Dressing?

Stuffing.  Dressing.  Which do you make?  Aren’t they the same thing? 

 

 

What is the difference between stuffing and dressing?  According to our research, stuffing is cooked inside the turkey; dressing is cooked as a side dish.

 

We’ve done it both ways, but prefer dressing.  We find we have more control over cooking the turkey to perfection if we deal with the stuffing separately.

 

We’ve collected some tried and true stuffing recipes to help continue you on your quest of thinking outside the box.  You can always just take your own stuffing recipe and jazz it up with some of the ideas below.  And don’t forget to keep the spice theme complimentary to your turkey flavor profile.

  

Basic Stuffing Recipe

 

2 bags breadcrumbs (crumbled or cubed – preferably unseasoned)

1 lg onion, chopped

2 stalks celery, chopped

1 stick butter

1 egg

¼ cup fresh parsley

1 tsp Bell’s turkey seasoning

Salt & pepper to taste

 

Melt the butter in a saucepan.  Add the onion & celery and sauté until the onion takes on a golden color. 

 

In a large bowl, combine the breadcrumbs, onion, celery, parsley, Bell’s turkey seasoning and salt & pepper.  Whisk the egg and add to the breadcrumbs mixing well.

 

Bake at 350º for 30 minutes or until the top gets browned.

 

 

Santos Savory Chouriço Stuffing

 

1 batch of the above Basic Stuffing Recipe

1 lb. meatloaf mix (ground beef, pork & veal)

1 lb chouriço, ground (or more if you like it spicier – yum!)

    Tip: it’s easier to keep the sausage almost frozen to get a better grind

 

Make the Basic Stuffing Recipe.  Before baking, mix in the meatloaf mix and chouriço.  Bake at 350º for 30-45 minutes or until the top gets browned and the meats are cooked through.

 

  

Patsy’s Oceanside Oyster Stuffing

 

1 lb loaf of firm white bread

2 sticks butter

1 lg. onion, chopped

1 stalk celery, chopped

¼ fresh parsley, chopped

2 tsp salt

¼ tsp pepper

1 pint oysters in their liquor

 

Crumble the bread fine into a large bowl and put aside.

 

Melt the butter in a large saucepan.  Add the onion & celery and sauté until the onion takes on a golden color.  Stir in breadcrumbs.   Then mix in the parsley, salt & pepper. 

 

Drain the liquor from the oysters into a small saucepan and heat liquor to the boiling point.  Cut the oysters in half and add them to the hot liquid until the edges begin to curl. 

 

Stir the oysters into the stuffing adding just a bit of the liquor for depth of flavor. 

 

Bake at 350º for 30 minutes or until the top gets browned.

 

 

Terri’s “South of the Mason/Dixon” Cornbread Stuffing

 

2 bags of cornbread (or make your own)

1 lb. bulk zesty hot sausage

1 onion, chopped

3 stalks of celery, chopped

2 small cans water chestnuts, drained

2 apples, chopped

½ cup pecans, toasted

¼ cup fresh parsley, chopped

2 tbl fresh sage, chopped

½ tsp Tabasco (or to taste)

salt & pepper to taste

2-4 cups chicken stock

 

Crumble the cornbread into a large bowl and set aside.

 

Sauté the sausage in a frying pan.  Remove the sausage with a slotted spoon and add to the cornbread. 

 

Sauté the onion and celery in the sausage drippings until the onion is golden brown.  Pour the pan’s contents into the cornbread mixture.

 

Stir in the water chestnuts, apples, pecans, parsley, sage, Tabasco and salt & pepper.  Add enough chicken stock to moisten well.

 

Bake at 350º for 30 minutes or until the top gets browned.

 

  

Jim’s Jammin’ Patties

 

If you like the crunchy top part of the stuffing, you’ll just love these!  It’s the same concept as the “muffin top” but with stuffing.

 

Use any stuffing recipe you like…it works with them all.

 

Take ½ cup scoop of stuffing and form into a patty (like you’re making a burger).

 

Place the patties on a greased cookie sheet and bake at 350º for 15-20 minutes or until the exterior is golden and crunchy.

 

Jim’s Jammin’ Patties are great with any poultry or pork meal and are the perfect size for your leftover turkey sandwich.

 

 

  caramelized onions  assorted mushrooms  ground chouriço

   delicious ingredients for a gluten free stuffing

  

 

Darlene’s Gluten Free Stuffing

 

We promise we won’t bore you with a traditional stuffing using gluten free bread.  Our version (an adaptation of Suzanne Somers) is much tastier!

 

Evoo

4 lg onions, thinly sliced

6 cups mixed mushrooms, chopped

   (we often use Portobello, hen of the woods & shitake)

½ cup dry white wine or chicken stock

2 tbl butter

2 lb bulk spicy sausage 

   (we switch it up every time with either pork, chicken or chouriço)

Salt & pepper to taste

 

Heat the evoo in a sauté pan and slowly caramelize the onions until they turn golden brown – about 30 mins.

 

Add the mushrooms and sauté on med-high until their edges begin to get crispy – about 15 minutes.  Don’t continuously stir them as that releases their water and they boil instead of sauté. 

 

Now turn the heat to high and add the wine or chicken stock.  Deglaze the pan for a couple of minutes, then lower the heat and simmer the mushrooms for 10 minutes.

 

While the mushrooms are simmering cook the bulk sausage in another sauté pan. 

 

Take the 2 pats of butter and 1 at a time stir into the mushrooms to mix and melt.  Add the cooked sausage to the mushroom mixture and season with salt and pepper to taste.

 

 

Leftover Idea:

We’re always on the lookout for great Thanksgiving leftover ideas and this one fits the bill! 

 

Buy 2 premade pie crusts.  Line the bottom of a pie tin with 1 crust.  Layer the leftover turkey, stuffing and gravy into the pie tin.  Top with the 2^nd pie crust.  Wrap well and freeze.

 

Take this turkey potpie out of the freezer to defrost the morning of December 23^rd…you know, that day you spend running around for last minute gifts and hiding in the bathroom wrapping the kids presents.

 

Follow the cooking instructions for the pie crust and bake until golden brown.  Accompany this quick, easy meal with some steamed green beans and cranberry sauce and serve with a nice glass of Pinot Noir.  We recommend Adelsheim.

 

Turkey & Gravy

Are you tired of the same old turkey every Thanksgiving?  Looking to try something new that will add some spice to your holiday meal – make your taste buds stand up and take notice?

 

 

 The real deal

 

Well, we’ve put together some great alternate flavor profiles with the help of friends, books and research.

 

Two really great country-style recipes would be: 

 

Juniper berries, allspice, fennel seeds, garlic

 

Juniper berries, garlic, bay leaves, rosemary

 

 

 

Turkey breast with tarragon. lemon zest, evoo,

garlic & celery seed

 

 

 

Or you can be more adventurous and try some of these flavor combinations:

 

African - cumin, garlic, onion powder

 

Caribbean - cilantro, garlic, onion powder

 

Chinese - ginger, rice wine vinegar, soy sauce

 

Cuban - citrus juice, cumin, garlic, olive oil

  

French (provençal) – marjoram, rosemary, sage, thyme, fennel seeds (herbs de

Provence), garlic

 

Greek – lemon, olive oil, oregano

 

Hungarian – onions, paprika

 

Indian – cumin, garlic, ginger

 

 Indonesian (2 versions) –  

  1.  chili peppers, peanuts, soy

  2.  garlic, soy sauce, brown sugar

 

Italian – garlic, olive oil, basil, parsley

 

Latin American – lime, cilantro, garlic, chili peppers

 

Mediterranean – savory, thyme, garlic, juniper berries

 

Middle Eastern – cinnamon, cloves, ginger, nutmeg

 

Moroccan – chili pepper, garlic, olive oil, salt

 

Portuguese – piri piri peppers, garlic, lemon juice, olive oil, salt

 

Spanish – garlic, onions, paprika, saffron

 

Szechuan – Szechuan peppers, ginger, star anise

 

Thai – chili peppers, red curry, peanuts

  

We recommend adding enough oil or butter to make a paste with your choice of spices to spread over the skin of your turkey (you could even smear some under the skin as well).  Then we recommend taking some of the spices individually and add them to your other dishes (i.e., if your doing Cuban, add some citrus juice to your sweet potato dish, add some cumin to your stuffing, cook your green veggie in garlic & olive oil) that way all the flavors create a recurring theme.

 

  Our 1^st turkey we ever cooked together back in 1988.  It was a Martha Stewart recipe which required us to slide basil leaves under the skin for a beautiful presentation.

 

We have made many turkeys over the years.  Our personal favorite that we return to again and again is a provençal recipe by Giada De Laurentiis.  It always comes out perfectly roasted and savory.  It also helps that we use a fresh tom turkey (about 40-ish lbs.).  We have been buying fresh turkey from Maple Lawn Farms in Fulton, Maryland for over 20 years.  The size and flavor are exponentially superior compared to your basic Butterball brand.

 

 

 

 

Our gravy recipe is from Martha Stewart…it is tried and true and the very best turkey gravy we have ever made.  Just ask our friends – they all want this recipe.

First you make a giblet stock (we usually make this the day before); then use step #7 here to finish the gravy.  We promise you won’t be disappointed.

 

We find that there’s never enough turkey drippings to make a boatload of gravy.  We’ve solved that problem!  We buy about 15 lbs. of turkey wings, season them up, add water up to about 1 inch in the bottom of the roasting pan and roast the wings on 350 for about 1-1/2 – 2 hours (until they are golden brown).  The bottom of the pan will be filled with tasty turkey drippings.  We also pick the meat off the wings and freeze for future recipes – like chili!

 

 

 Turkey wings ready to be roasted   

 

 
Look at that gorgeous golden color

 

 

  On Thanksgiving Day this is liquid gold

 

What do we do with a 40-lb tom turkey you ask?  Well, we remove the entire breast off the bone in 1 large piece, then turn it sideways and slice against the grain…resulting in moist, beautiful, picturesque turkey breast.  See video here.  We take ¾ of the breast meat and place in family-size freezer containers.  We cover the meat with gravy and freeze so we have delicious turkey dinners all winter long.  Hot turkey sandwiches for lunch after a morning of shoveling snow hits the spot every time!

  

And here’s a great idea for Black Friday.  Before you head out for a day of crazy shopping, throw together a chili in your crock pot (sans meat).  Have some leftover turkey finely shredded and ready to go so when you get back from your hectic day you just put the turkey in to heat through and dinner is served.  This recipe is great with leftover cornbread stuffing that you make into patties and sautée.

 

We encourage you to think outside the “turkey” box this year and try something new.  It could be your most memorable turkey yet!

 

 

The Thanksgiving Countdown

 

We know it’s still 4 weeks away, but it really is time to begin planning Thanksgiving.  If you take just a little bit of time (15-30 minutes) in the next couple of days to sit down and write out your Thanksgiving plans, you’ll find yourself much less stressed. 

 

Are you going to someone else’s house?  If so, lucky you!  Since you’re probably responsible for bringing a dish we recommend you use this opportunity to try something new.  We’ll talk about some great ideas to help make you a food rock star later in the week so be sure to check back.

 

Are you having dinner at your home?  Again, lucky you!  Your home will smell delicious and you’ll enjoy the sounds of family and friends basking in the glow of your culinary prowess.  So…your planning will be a little more involved, but here’s your planning guide.

 

1^st week of November

1. Plan the meal.  Choose your recipes and collect them all in one spot so you have them at your fingertips.

 

2. Write out your shopping list.  Call us anal, but we have a perpetual shopping list that we print off our computer every November.  Think about it, we always buy the same items for Thanksgiving so why continually reinvent the wheel?  We buy the non-perishable items at the beginning of the month avoiding the long checkout lines, then the perishables the Monday before Thanksgiving.  Here's our list.

 

3. Go to the grocery store to buy your non-perishables.

 

4. If you are buying dessert(s), place your order(s).

 

2^nd week of November

1. Check your linens – make sure they’re clean and ready to go.  If they aren’t, work on them this week.

 

2. Clean your crystal, china & silverware – we know it’s been sitting since the last holiday and probably a little dusty.  By taking care of this chore now, they’ll be ready to go.

 

3. What about a centerpiece – will you have one?  Make that decision and order it or buy the items to make it.  Click here for centerpiece ideas.

 

3^rd week of November

1. Declutter your home.  Many people use their dining room table for all that paper that comes into our homes.  If you are one of those people, spend the time this week to get your dining room in good working order.

 

2. Clean the house.  Just clean 1 room a day, but as the week progresses go through the whole house every other day to dust and dry mop the rooms to keep them clean so you won’t have to do a big clean next week when you’re super busy.

 

Thanksgiving Week

1. Sunday – select your serving pieces and do a “dry run” by placing them on the buffet (or wherever you are setting out the food) to be sure all the dishes fit.  Now we’re really getting anal – get post-it notes.  Using two post-it notes per food item write down the name of the food then place one post-it note on its corresponding serving piece and the other on the buffet where you want the dish placed.  Doing this exercise helps you in two ways:  1. it helps you make sure you have everything you need ahead of time; and 2. when you’re busy filling the serving pieces others can bring the food to the buffet and place it exactly where you know the platter will fit.

 

2. Monday – do a thorough cleaning of your fridge making sure you have room for covered casseroles, etc.  Then go grocery shopping for your perishables.

 

3. Tuesday – spend another 15-30 minutes writing down your  final plan.  For instance, if you only have one oven you'll want to come up with a schedule for the order in which you will cook your foods.  Be sure to calculate the cooking time for your turkey and allow at least an extra hour.  Also, do a quick clean of your house to make sure it’s “guest ready”.  

 

4. Wednesday AM – if you're making your desserts do them this morning. 

    Wednesday PM – if you’re making extra gravy start it now; put together your stuffing/dressing (it’s stuffing when you actually stuff the turkey, but if you cook it on the side like we always do, then it’s dressing); put together any casseroles you are making; prep all the items you’ll need for your remaining side dishes; if you’re using canned cranberry sauce don’t forget to put it in the fridge; prep the turkey to go into the oven in the morning (but don’t stuff it until right before you put it in the oven or harmful bacteria will grow).  Here’s a great tip:  for years Darlene’s mom did Thanksgiving for about 25 people.  She made the turkey and gravy on Wednesday, then layered the turkey and gravy in a large roasting pan and placed it in the fridge overnight.  The next day she would just heat it up.  The turkey stayed moist and juicy by soaking in the gravy all night.

  
5. Thanksgiving Day – sit your prepared turkey on the counter to get the chill off, have a cup of coffee, and preheat the oven.  Be sure to eat breakfast – some eggs and fruit or a bagel with cream cheese will be satisfying, quick and give you much needed energy.  Get out your final plan and review it.  Follow it to a T so you don’t forget a step or get overwhelmed.  The two most important things we can tell you about today are: 1. only work on one dish at a time, and 2. clean as you go.

 

Enjoy this bonding time with your family and friends.  It’s a holiday celebration and you’re creating wonderful memories to last a lifetime!

 

Now that you’ve spent the time doing all this planning, write it all down and save it so you don’t have to reinvent the wheel next year.  Buy a 1-inch 3-ring binder and put all your information in it: planning lists, shopping lists, recipes, etc. and keep this binder with your cookbooks.

 

Finally, you’ve also spent the time decluttering your home.  Continue cleaning 1 room a day and your house will stay clean and ready to entertain for the December holidays.

Get Your Volt On

If you’re a real Foodie you probably watch all the cooking shows…even the reality shows like Hell’s Kitchen and Top Chef.  A real Foodie can recognize a cheftestant from Top Chef as easily as recognizing one’s own first born.  A real Foodie, when traveling, will choose a food show contestant’s restaurant to dine in.  Why not?  We’ve done it on several occasions…it only stands to reason that if you’re visiting the area and aren’t familiar with the restaurants you should check out those where the contestants work…if the restaurants and chefs weren’t good they wouldn’t make it onto the show.

 

So, being from the Baltimore/Washington, DC area, we finally got around to trying Volt in Frederick, MD (50 miles from both downtown Baltimore and downtown Washington).  The juxtaposition of the late 1800’s brick mansion with the contemporary all white dining room actually works well.  The white dining room actually helps make the food the star…and isn’t that why we eat out? 

 

We had the three course tasting menu for $20.09…well, that’s a deal.  The wine pairings recommended by the sommelier added to the cost, but what’s fine food without wine?  And the food was fine!  But it was very exciting going into the kitchen to talk to the cheftestant himself – Chef/Owner Bryan Voltaggio.

 

We each had a starter:

    Rocket & arugula salad with figs, pine nuts, blue cheese & iberico ham drizzled with a banyuls vinaigrette accompanied by Kung Fu Girl Riesling from Columbia Valley, Washington.  The combined flavors were an explosion in our mouths.  A very tasty, light salad, perfectly seasoned…we ate every last morsel.

 

      Yellowfin tuna tartare with sesame lavash (a $7 upcharge that was well worth it) accompanied by Botani Moscatel Secco from Malaga, Spain.  Every bite was a Perfect Bite with roe popping on your tongue.  It was a winner.

   

Our main courses:

    Chicken with braised Swiss chard, Russian fingerling potatoes, rutabaga, & hen of the woods. Now this was no ordinary chicken…it was a portion of perfectly seared chicken breast with a chicken pavé (dark meat pressed, vacuum-sealed in a plastic pouch and cooked sous vide – in warm water).  Neil the sommelier recommended Four Vines Zinfandel Old Vine Cuvee from Napa, California.  Darlene hardly ever orders chicken out because we eat it often at home, but this is one of only two fabulous chicken dishes she has ever eaten – the other being at Michael Mina at the Bellagio in Las Vegas.  It was so perfect and so rich tasting we could eat this every day!

   

  Hangar steak with a butternut squash puree, sautéed Brussels sprouts & golden beets.  The wine of choice was Hall’s Kathryn Hall Cabernet Sauvignon from Napa Valley, California.  Eric has stopped ordering hangar steak out because he usually finds it tough, but this steak was as succulent and tender as a prime filet mignon.

   

If we thought lunch was good, the pièce de résistance was dessert.

  The Taste of Chocolate featured a ribbon of white chocolate mousse which was very light, with milk chocolate ice cream, dark chocolate tuilles, with a chocolate caramel sauce and a dusting of organic cocoa powder.  This was accompanied by Robertson Special late Harvest Gewürztraminer from South Africa.

   

  The pear cobbler was equally delicious and unique – with concord grape sorbet, crème anglaise and basil oil.  This was paired with a real find – Kanu Late Harvest Chenin Blanc also from South Africa.

   

We enjoyed lunch so much that we decided to try their Table 21 – a special Chef’s Table in the kitchen that features a 21-course tasting menu.  They book this table 6 times a week.  It’s booked for a very long time.  We were able to reserve it for April 15^th.  When we told Bryan we thought that was a good present to ourselves after paying Uncle Sam he replied, “Good, then I can pay my taxes.”

 

Aside from Volt’s business booming, Bryan says there have been other benefits to his being on national TV.  “I’ve always focused on getting local, sustainable products for the restaurant, but many purveyors didn’t want to leave the metropolitan area (Baltimore or Washington, DC) to come to me.  Being on Top Chef has dramatically changed that.  Now they’re coming out to Frederick,” says Bryan.  “Also, we have many wine companies calling to ask for a presence on our wine list.”

 

As he filleted a gorgeous Alaskan Halibut in his bustling kitchen, Bryan also told us a few tidbits of information.  (No, not about the finale…we all know he’s contracted to keep that under wraps.  Let’s face it, those of us who are Top Chef groupies know in our guts that the final 4 will be Kevin, Jennifer & the Voltaggio brothers.)  He told us that after the Pigs & Pinot challenge, Chef Charlie Palmer, his old boss and partner, called to invite him to be a featured chef at the 2010 Pigs & Pinot in Healdsburg, California.  According to Bryan, he and his brother Michael have always had a healthy sibling rivalry, but he feels the show has brought them even closer.  They talk on the phone everyday and are currently planning a joint project.  He also told us that Bravo will have a new series next year – Top Chef: Just Desserts – basically a Top Pastry Chef.  That’s good news…it means our daughter can apply to be a cheftestant in a few years.

 

We paid our bill and said our goodbyes; as we were walking out the door we heard the hostess on the phone telling someone that Table 21 was now booking for May. Better call soon!

In The Hood

People often ask us which restaurant we frequent the most.  We have several in our area that we really like, but our fave is Iron Bridge Wine Company.  It’s our own Cheers - a neighborhood wine bar where everybody knows your name.  It’s only a few miles from our home which we frequent anywhere from 3-6 times a month for either lunch or dinner.  We met friends there for dinner last night.

 

   

They don’t have Sam or Norm, Cliff or Carla, but they do have Rob and Steve the brother-owners who know the restaurant business, Vince the manager who is very knowledgeable about wines, Katie the bartender/server who was a chem major and is inspired by the actual wine making process (and engaged to a chef), Marcie the hostess/wine aficionado who often makes great recommendations, Holly the server who has worked for the prestigious Charleston Group - owned by arguably the best chef and best sommelier in Maryland (Cindy Wolf & Tony Foreman), and Ali, Ed, Valerie, Janine, etc., etc., etc.

 

  Wild Boar Ragu over pasta

 

Iron Bridge is small, but has a cozy atmosphere.  They serve about 25 wines by the glass and the list changes weekly. 

 

  Last night we drank Nicolis Ambrosan Amarone and Rochioli Pinot Noir (the wine picked by Top Chef contestant Bryan Voltaggio during the Pigs & Pinot Challenge)

 

They have a varied menu which changes regularly - about 15 small plates, 5 small entrees and 1-2 full size daily specials.  The food is original and exciting. 

 

  Salmon (cooked to perfection) with lemon, white wine and capers with haricot verts

 

  Last night’s NY Strip special with mashed potatoes, haricot verts, and herbed butter

 

 

About 6 months ago Iron Bridge was the center of an animal rights controversy.  One of their small plates is foie gras pate made with goose liver.  There are farms that raise the geese and fatten them up with corn - sometimes force feeding them. Instead of protesting, the animal rights activists were destructive - they broke several of the restaurant’s windows and graffiti-ed the stone exterior with red spray paint.  Did Rob & Steve back down?  No way!  Instead they instituted Foie Gras Friday featuring 3 special foie gras appetizers paired with wines every Friday night.

 

  Last night’s Foie Gras Friday menu

 

The Iron Bridge was named one of the “Best New Restaurants in the United States for 2004” by Wine Enthusiast Magazine.  Only 21 restaurants made this prestigious list.  They’ve certainly made believers out of us!